


Perfect Bliss

by hillnerd



Series: Next Gen series [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen, Harry Potter Next Generation, Mostly Gen, Wholesome, ace friendly, subtle shipping that's barely shipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-06 22:10:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18226052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hillnerd/pseuds/hillnerd
Summary: Andromeda reflecting on Teddy (age 6) as they go on a beach trip with the Weasley clan.prompt:"How Andromeda does once she bonds with  Teddy and works on helping him grow into someone his parents would be proud of. (and double brownies if you can work in my subtle Andromeda post-widowhood ship of mine that is maybe a dinghy at best"





	Perfect Bliss

For months Andromeda thought she’d never have color or music in her life again. Her husband, her only child, and even her only child’s husband had all been murdered within months of each other. Ted had always been a steady light for her, bringing her home across an ocean of darkness- and when his light went out, she felt lost at sea. Her Nymphadora dying, though, left her drowning.

She’d found a light again in Teddy. It took time for her to see him that way, since every bit of him reminded her of all those she’d lost- but he was so much more than that. He had a solemn air about him at times, but in other moments there would be a sudden spark in him that lit up his handsome little face and she melted at it. He had become her everything really. It was quite hard to let him go and do anything without her, but he needed the freedom in order to grow and learn.

She and Teddy had been invited on a beach holiday by Harry, and by extension the entire Weasley clan. Teddy had been to the beach quite a few times, thanks to Shell Cottage, but that didn’t stop him from being excessively excited about it for weeks on end.

“Do you think we’ll see any dolphins? Or maybe an octopus?” the six year old asked.

“We might. Put your shoes on, please, we need to leave soon.”

Teddy quickly complied. Well, he began to comply. That was one of Teddy’s habits. He was a very good little boy, but he quickly lost track of tasks set to him, and would daydream until they’d passed right by him.

He’d reached for a shoe when his movements slowed and his hair started to turn blue with white tips resembling an ocean’s waves and peaks.

“Teddy! Shoes!”

“Sorry, Gran!” Teddy said with a smile, putting on his shoes before running outside.

“Teddy, don’t go running off, we need to leave soon!” 

“I forgot my trowel! I need it for sand castles!” he called back. A few minutes later he was back, a bit out of breath.

“I could conjure you one there, young man.”

“I promised Victoire. She likes this one because it has a ladybug on the handle.”

“Well, if your promise meant so much you should have packed it with our things yesterday,” Andromeda chided.

“Ok. I’ll try to do better next time,” Teddy said with a nod.

“Thank you, darling,” she said with a fond stroke to his now brown hair. “It was good of you to remember your promise.”

With that they took the Floo Network to a quaint beach resort near Oxwich. There was a small wizard-preserved beach there, which meant Teddy could go. He didn’t have complete control of his morphing, and there was only so much glamour charms could do to cover up a little boy growing a half a meter or changing color.  

The moment they arrived the children ran at each other in enthusiasm across the wide corridor of the lobby, leaving parents behind with not a care in the world. Victoire was dressed in an immaculate white sundress, and her younger sister Dominique raced after her, barefoot and covered in a good coating of sand already. Percy’s twins scampered behind them, both girls looking like trouble waiting to happen as they had chocolate coating their tiny hands.

“Girls! No! Stay with Daddy, I need to clean your hands!” Percy called after the toddlers, just managing to snatch them before they hugged Teddy and covered him in chocolate fingerprints.

They both loudly wailed at this intrusion on their plans, and he looked every inch of him harangued.

Teddy was always popular with the Weasley children. He was the only boy, thus far, the oldest and also had magically altering physiology. Beyond that he was kind and patient with them all. He was quite popular in his magical school as well. Andromeda couldn’t stand to keep the bright little boy cooped up at home with no children to learn around. It was an inconvenient series of Floor rides to get to the magical school all the way in London, but it was well worth it for the smile it put on Teddy’s face. That smile was nothing to the grin he sported as Victoire and Dominique tackled him with hugs.

They immediately bolted for the beach, but luckily the patio was enchanted to trap children without a guardian accompanying them. Harry and Ginny gave her a wave and jogged after the children.

She was grateful to have so many childless adults around her. They had so much more energy for the rambunctious antics of kids than any parent, let alone a stiff grandparent like herself. She didn’t imagine they’d remain childless all that much longer, though. 

Once her and Teddy’s bags were stowed in the room, she put on her very modest swimming costume, a few cotton layers and large straw hat, and went to watch them all enjoy the beach as she read.

Watching Teddy laugh and play on the beach with Victoire was such beautiful sight. They walked along the beach combing it for treasures, the ladybug trowel in one of Victoire’s hands, the other hand always finding it back into Teddy’s as he lead the way up the beach, their twin set of small footprints left behind in the sand. They’d spot another little treasure and suddenly take off like a kite on the breeze. No one ran as fast as children, as they were completely unencumbered by worries. At least, these children were. She was so grateful to see how light their lives were.

She felt her eyes begin to well up unexpectedly.

“Sand in your eye?” she heard a deep familiar voice say from just behind her.

Andromeda turned to see Kingsley Shacklebolt, standing tall and not nearly as covered up as she was. Of course he was a quite fit Auror, and not a flabby old lady like herself.

“Yes, a bit of sand,” she said, a fond smile forming. “I’m glad you were able to make it after all. I know how busy you are.”

“Even the Minister of Magic needs a holiday at times,” he chuckled sitting beside her. “So that sand problem. Anything I can do to help?”

“Oh, there’s no helping it. I’m just a sentimental old woman.”

“You are far from being an old woman, Dromeda,” he said with a raise of his eyebrow.

“Well I’m certainly not young anymore!” she said, sitting back in her chair. At fifty two she supposed she wasn’t all that old, but she felt right ancient much of the time.

“You look the same as you have for twenty years,” he said kindly. She knew she had aged at least that much in the past seven years, but didn’t want to belabor the point.

“Look at those two little lives,” she said, looking to Teddy and Victoire who were now doing some sort of dance, unembarrassed, unaccompanied, hearing music of their own, and just in perfect bl-

“In perfect bliss,” Kingsley said, finishing her very thought. She felt warmed at his presence, as she always did.

“Yes, ” Andromeda replied, smiling at him. In this moment, surrounded by the sound of gentle waves crashing on the beach, seeing children running to a future so bright and happy, and having a good companion beside her, she really did feel she’d found, if even for a moment, perfect bliss.


End file.
